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That thought makes me smile and Blaise more than notices.
“You do realize Rhyland has never lost a race ever and Alex is a mechanic,” he tells me almost apologetically.
My brow quirks upward. “Did I challenge them to a race?”
He shakes his head, sighing. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“And don’t say I didn’t warn you when you get your ass kicked.”
He rubs his forehead so roughly he leaves red marks on his skin. “So what’re the terms of the race?” His hand falls to his side. “I mean, what do I get if I win?” He dazzles me with his pearly whites when I glare at him, his cockiness returning.
I mirror his smirk. “When I win, you and your brothers have to leave my sisters and me alone. No more flyers. No more fucking up my car. No more doing anything that makes our lives even the slightest bit complicated, got it?”
He tilts his head to the side, considering. “That sounds doable, I guess.”
Alex snorts a laugh. “Don’t agree for all of us.”
Blaise shoots him a warning look from over his shoulder then looks back at me. “If you do win, I promise all of us will leave you and your sisters alone. But when I win,” his lips quirk as I glower at him, “You owe me a month’s worth of favors. Anything I ask for you do.”
I promptly shake my head. “Anything is too broad of a word.”
He wavers. “Okay, I promise none of the favors will be dangerous or will require you to do anything that would result in you getting hurt.”
I don’t want to say what’s biting at the tip of my tongue, and will probably get laughed at when I do, but it needs to be said. “Nothing sexual either.” I give myself a pat on the back for my even tone.
Blaise’s tongue slips out, wetting his lips, amusement dancing in his eyes. “The last thing I’d ever want is for you to give me sexual favors.” My lips part with a comeback, but he leans closer and whispers, “When stuff finally does happen between us, it’ll happen because you want it.”
My blood burns underneath my skin. “And to think, you were just starting to seem not as annoying as when I first met you.”
He chuckles softly, his breath dusting my ear. “You know what? I take back what I said. I do want you to kiss me when I win.”
I slant back and glare at him. “I already said no sexual favors.”
“It won’t be a favor. Just an extra prize.” He’s all grins and wickedness. “Just one kiss. And then you can spend the next month reliving the kiss over and over in your memory.”
“You mean relive it over and over again in my nightmares,” I quip.
“Are you afraid you’ll lose?” he challenges. “Because it sounds like you are.”
Fuck. I’m unsure what to do. On the one hand, I doubt I’ll lose, but what if I do? Then I have to kiss this asshat and do a bunch of favors for him, which possibly means spending time with him. But backing down now is going to make me seem weak. Plus, if I win, they’ll have to leave my sisters alone. “Fine, but I want an extra prize too.”
His smile radiates amusement. “All right, what is it?”
A Cheshire grin spreads across my lips. “I get to kick you in the balls after I win.”
His smile falters. “No fucking way.”
I sniff the air. “Is that fear I smell?”
His eyes narrow to slits. “Being afraid would mean I think I’m going to lose, which I’m not.”
“Then I guess we don’t have a problem.”
“I guess we don’t.”
We stare each other down until someone clears their throat. The sound startles both of us, as if we’ve forgotten other people were here.
Raking his hands through his hair, Blaise steps away from me. “All right, you want a duel, then lets duel.” He digs his keys out of his pocket. “Meet me at the Turn Out in twenty minutes. I have to go pick up Rhyland’s car.”
“Okay.” Even though I’m clueless where the Turn Out is, I don’t give him the satisfaction of asking. I also try not to reveal my panic over the mention of Rhyland’s car.
Through all the smack talk, I forgot about Rhyland’s awesome ride and didn’t take a moment to consider how Blaise would more than likely race it. But I’m not backing out now.
Blaise pauses, momentarily observing me. “You have a problem with my ride?”
“Nope.” When I return his obsessive stare he tosses me a smirk, then climbs into the SUV.
Rhyland turns to me, sighing heavily. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”
“You’re the one who suggested I start racing here,” I say, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“I know but…” A frown etches into his face. “I’m not sure you fully understand what you’re getting into.”
I lift my chin and square my shoulders. “Doesn’t matter since I’m not going to lose.”
His frown deepens, then he shakes his head and slips into the front seat of the SUV while Jaxon clambers into the backseat.
Alex makes no move to get in though, instead smirking at me. “You’re going down. You do realize that, right?”
Smiling sweetly, I pat him on the shoulder. “I guess we should say our goodbyes, now right? Since soon you’re going to have to leave me and my sisters alone. Although, I don’t even know why you were bothering us to begin with.”
“I have my reasons,” he sneers. Then gives me a pat on the arm. “And just know that when you lose, I’m going to add a list of favors of my own onto Blaise’s list. So have fun with that.” Then he turns and hops into the backseat of the SUV.
I hurriedly usher my sisters into my car where Payton is waiting.
“What’s going on?” she asks the instant we hop in.
I rev up the engine. “I’m getting us off the Porterson brothers radar.
“Well, either that, or you’re putting you on their radar even more.” Londyn violently fastens her seatbelt. “What were you thinking, Hadley? Agreeing to do Blaise favors. And kiss him.”
“What?” Payton cries, her eyes huge.
“I was thinking that I rarely lose a race so none of that’s going to be a problem.” I push on the gas and drive forward.
Londyn huffs an exasperated breath. “You’re always putting us first and this time I think you’ve gone too far.”
“Doesn’t really matter what you think.” I offer an apologetic look. “What’s done is done.”
“And if you lose?” she asks, giving me a pressing look. “Then what?”
“I won’t lose,” I stress, crossing my fingers that I’m right.
Because if not, my life is going to get a hell of a lot more complicated. And considering my dad just buried a bag of who knows what in the backyard, the last thing I need is more complications.
Fourteen
I stop at
a gas station and ask for directions to the Turn Out. It must be a pretty popular place since the clerk knows exactly where it is. The area isn’t too far away, just outside of town near the foothills. During the drive there, we explain to Payton what happened. Confliction masks her face, as if she doesn’t know whether to be happy about the duel or worried.
“Don’t worry, I’ll win,” I assure her as I pull into the Turn Out.
“But what if you don’t?” Payton asks, slipping on a pair of oversized sunglasses. “Then you’ll end up spending the next month doing them awful favors.”
“We don’t know for sure that they’ll be awful,” I lie, quieting the engine.
“Um, yeah, we sort of do,” Bailey says. “Those guys are straight up evil.”
“Nothing will be bad. Remember the stipulations I made.” I shove open the door and stretch my legs out as I get out of the car.
“There’s always loopholes,” Bailey tells me as I slant the seat forward to let her out.
“Stop talking as if I’m going to lose because I’m not.” I plaster on a cocky grin, but it’s all bravado. “Now get out so I can win a race.”
Bailey swiftly shakes her head. “No way. You’re not doing this alone.”
“You have to get out.” I glance at all of them. “You all do.”
Londyn’s mouth sinks to a frown. “You’re not going to do this alone. We’re refusing to let you.”
“It’s not about doing this alone.” Not entirely anyway. “It’s about the extra weight in the car.” And that this road runs along the side of a shallow cliff that bottoms out into a river.
Londyn’s lips form an O. Then, begrudgingly, she drags her butt out of the car and Payton and Bailey follow. By the time they’ve gotten out, Rhyland’s GTO is pulling into the Turn Out.
Blaise is driving and he pulls up to the side of me, rolling the window down. “I see you found the place.”
I turn and slant against my car. “It wasn’t that hard to find.”
His eyes sparkle amusedly. “Yeah, but I thought maybe you’d use getting lost as an excuse.”
I push away from the car, lean down, rest my arms on the windowsill, and level my gaze with him. “You don’t scare me.”
